Stocking



A. J. coasm" 2,205,790

STOCKING Filed Feb. 16, 1940 X /5 I INVENTOR. flQ/wapj 4241525 BY g Patented June 25, new

UNITED s'mrrs 2,2ll5l'i9d STOCKING Application February 16, 1940, Serial No. 3193i? 9 Claims.

My invention relates to stockings of the type in which there is incorporated below the welt a band or portion knit of elastic thread in such a manner as'to be capable of stretching both g longitudinally and .circumferentially of the stocking. It is the object of my invention to provide a twoeway stretch band which will be knit of elastic thread, which will possess an adequate degree of elasticity in both longitudinal and cirio cumferential directions, which will be of pleasing appearance,'and which can readily be knit on knitting machines of conventional form.

In carrying out my invention, I knit the elastic band integrally with the remaining portions of it the stocking, which are formed of inelastic thread; and in the knitting of the elastic band,

I transfer stitches from alternate wales in a predetermined manner to form ribs which, as knit, extend transversely, of the band and longitudinally of the stocking. Because of the manner in which the stitches from alternate wales are transier'red and because the knitting of the elastic threads introduces some tension thereinto, the ribs formed by the transfer of the stitches from alternate wales do not remain straight, but instead assume a zigzag form which adds to the pleasing appearance of the stocking.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is an enlarged view illustrating 80 the pattern of the stitches in the elastic band; and Fig. 2 is a view on a smaller scale showing the upper end of a stocking in which my invention has been embodied.

The stocking illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises 85 a welt portion It, a body portion H, and an intervening band ii of two-way stretch fabric. 11h accordance with standard practice, I prefer to form the welt It of double thickness; and between the welt and the band I2 I may provide 0 one or more courses of picoting, as indicated at B3. One or more courses of picoting it may also be incorporated below the band 62.

Below the picoting I3 I provide one or more plain courses It of inelastic thread, the lower- 45 most of such courses joining the first course A' of the two-way stretch band as indicated at the top of Fig. 1. The particular pattern of the stitches in the two-way stretch band illustrated in Fig. 1 is four wales in width circum- 50 ferentially of the stocking and twelve courses in height; but these dimensions, especially the height of the pattern, are subject to variation to suit individual taste.-

In. Fig. 1, for the purpose of facilitating dcto scription, I have designated the four wales of the pattern by the Roman numerals I, II, III, andIV, and the successive courses of the pattern by the letters A to L inclusive. The only stitches transferred are those in one setof alternate wales, such as the wales II and IV. The stitches are not transferred similarly in those two wales; but instead, the successive stitches in wale II are transferred alternately in opposite directions, while the stitches in wale IV are all transferred in the same direction-in this instance, to the right.

This manner of transferring the stitches from wales II and IV is continued for a predetermined number of courses, desirably for half the height of the pattern, or, in the particular pattern illustrated, for six courses through course F. In the remainder of the pattern, here shown as courses G to L, the stitches in wale IV are transferred alternately in opposite directions while the stitches in wale II are all transferred in the same direction, desirably the direction opposite to that in which the stitches of wale 1V in courses A to'F were transferred, or to the left.

With course L, the pattern is completed and the next course constitutes the first course A of a repetition of the pattern. The pattern is repeated until a band of the desired width is formed.

Because of the transference of stitches to wales I and Ill, these wales form ribs it and M which, as knit, extend longitudinally of the stocking. However, because of the manner in which the stltches'ln wales II and IV are transferred the release of tension in the elastic threads upon the completion of knitting results in drawing the ribs 2t and it into a zigzag pattern as illustrated in Fig. 2. Each rib It, consisting as it does of alternate double and triple stitches, is materially heavier than each rib 29, which consists of alternate single and double stitches; although in the finished stocking, there is little difference in the appearance of the two ribs.

The stochng may be, knit on any conventional form of knitting machine provided with a lace attachment or plcot bar. In adapting such a machine for the formation of my stocking, I use a plcot bar having one needle for each four wales, and I arrange the mechanism operating the plcot bar to produce two dips of the bar for eaclrcourse of knitting. In the specific pattern illustrated in Fig. 1, the first dip. of the plcot bar in course A transfers the stitch in wale II to wale m, and the second dip transfers the stitch in wale IV in the same direction to wale I of the next pattern. In the next course (B) Elli the first dip of the picot bar again operates to transfer the stitch in wale IV to the right, while the second dip transfers the stitch in wale II to the left, or to wale I. The picot bar continues.

to operate in this manner until the first half of the pattern (through course F) is completed. For the second half of the pattern, the first dip of the picot bar in course G transfers the-stitch in wale II to the left to wale I, and the second dip transfers the stitch in wale IV to the left to wale III. In course H, the first dip of the picot bar transfers the stitch inwale IV to the right to wale I of the next pattern, and the second dip transfers the stitch in wale II to the left to wale L This method of operating the picot bar is continued through course L, or un- I nally of the stocking. The band has a pleasing appearance; and, although of uniform pattern throughout its width, is free from any marked tendency to curl.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stocking, an intermediate portion of two-way stretch fabric knit of elastic yarn with wales running longitudinally of the stocking, stitches in one set of alternate wales for a plurality of successive courses being transferred to respectively adjacent wales" in repetitions of a pattern -four wales in width, the successive stitches in the fourth wale of each pattern being all transferred in one direction to an adjacent wale and the successive stitches in the second wale of each pattern being transferred alternately in opposite directions to the adjacent wales.

2. In a stocking, an intermediate portion of. two-way stretch fabric knit of elastic yarn with wales running longitudinally of the stocking, stitches in one set of alternate wales being transferred to respectively adjacent wales in repetitions of a pattern four wales in width, the successive stitches in the fourth wale of each pattern being all transferred in one direction to an adjacent wale throughout a group of. courses of predetermined numberand then alternately in opposite directions to adjacent wales for a subsequent group of courses of predetermined number, the successive stitches in the second wale of each pattern being transferred alternately in opposite aaoaveo directions to adjacent wales throughout the first named group of courses and then all in one direction to an adjacent wale throughout said subsequent group of courses.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 with the addition that said two groups of. courses consist of equal numbers of courses and that the stitches of the fourth wale in the first group of courses are transferred in a direction opposite to that in which'the stitches of the secondwale in the subsequent group of courses are transferred.

4. The invention set forth in claim,2 with the addition that said two groups of. courses are contiguous.

' i 5. In a stocking, an intermediate portion of stitches of alternate wales in each of alternate courses being transferred to the intervening wale.

7..In a stocking, an intermediate portion of two-way stretch fabric knit of elastic yarn with wales running longitudinally of the stocking, certain of said wales located at spaced intervals circumferentially of the stocking being formed into thickened ribs by the transfer of stitches from both adjacent wales in each of certain COuISeS.

8. In a stocking, an intermediate portion of two-Way stretch fabric knit of elastic yarn'with wales running longitudinally of the stocking, certain of the stitches of said two-way stretch fabric being transferred in predetermined pattern, said transferred stitches including pairs of stitches, the two stitches of each pair being located in the same course and in alternate wales and being both transferred to the intervening wale.

9. In a stocking, an intermediate portion of two-way stretch fabric knit of elastic yarn and comprising stitches transferred in predetermined pattern, some of said transferred stitches being located in the same course and in alternate wales and being transferred to the intervening wale.

ARTHUR J. COBERT. 

